Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 5, 2015. They appear to be some type of Polypore Mushroom, a bracket-type, perennial mushroom. (You can find growing in the same place year after year.)
Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 4, 2015. The last time we saw this mushroom (in 2012) on this same tree it was about a foot across. The largest one this year was about 3" across. In this photo, there's a 2" diameter hiding between the roots.
Disclaimer: The Corralitas Red Car Property Blog prefers to quote reliable sources, such as CalFlora and California Poison Control on the issue of toxicity. MykoWeb is the resource everyone seems to refer to for mushrooms. The Los Angeles Mycological Society has a recommended reading list.
If you are eating your way through the Red Car Property, we DO NOT recommend you eat any plant you find in the Red Car Property neighborhood without first doing your own research.
